Writing As Art: Apt Word Choice
Do you think of writing as art? Or a task with a set of rules you must follow? Many writers believe both are true and allow both approaches to guide their writing. Both have their uses but a bias for … Continued
Writing As An Adventurous Foodie
Do you remember when Hillary Clinton had to give out her cookie recipe to show everyone she’s an ordinary housewife, when her lesser half first ran for president? Well, Ms. Clinton isn’t ordinary and if the cookie recipe was actually … Continued
Calla Lilies — A Small Remembrance of Things Past
“Come and see what I found on the side yard today,” my husband said three days ago while we were in the garage. He sounded so excited that, instead of rushing my bag of fresh groceries into the house, I … Continued
Margaret of the North, Victorian Feminist Romance
Margaret of the North, the first novel I published, is a historical novel. It’s a sequel to Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South, a much loved classic, at least in its form as a BBC miniseries. Why write a sequel? I … Continued
Court Your Love With A Serenade
It’s Valentine or maybe you’ve just begun a-courting. Serenade or champagne? Would you take Honoré de Balzac‘s word for it? Great love affairs start with Champagne and end with tisane. That works. But, maybe, only where you can get champagne. … Continued
Realism in Romance Novels?
Romance novels are escapist fare. We read them to be entertained. Or to have a few delicious moments of tingling. Is it a contradiction, then, to inject realism in romance novels? Someone more in the know than I told me … Continued
Words. Sometimes, Like Daggers
Words. We’re inundated with them. From friends and loved ones. From strangers. From the constant assault of media. And from words that churn around in our heads—as they do a lot in writers. Or in some people afflicted with … Continued
The Kiss On The Train Platform: Gaskell’s North and South
Thornton lifts Margaret’s bowed head gently and with great tenderness, touches his lips to hers. But that’s just how it begins. He kisses her a little more insistently. Not once more, but a few times more. She doesn’t pull back, … Continued
Children Sexually Abusing Other Children. Do You Look Away?
Some weeks ago, a news item appeared in the Guardian about an issue often ignored in conversations on school problems: children sexually abusing other children. The issue rears its shameful, scary head every so often to outrage us and, maybe, … Continued
The Fun of Researching a Book
Inside, the terminal was bouncing. That was the only way Leilani could describe it. Greeters jumped and shrieked their welcome at arrivals they had not seen in a while. Children squealed as they played, running through throngs of people. She … Continued
SPR Independent Woman Author Awards: I Got One!
Self Publishing Review honored me with a Bronze Author Award last week, citing my writing as the main criterion for which they picked me as one of their three awardees for the 2015 SPR Independent Woman Author Awards. Here’s what … Continued
How Can You Boost Your KDP Free Days? Useful Data-Based Insights
On two consecutive Fridays in June, I ran kdp free days for Hello, My Love! (HML), Book 1, and Welcome Reluctant Stranger! (WRS), Book 3, of my series, Between Two Worlds. I meant to test a couple of my suspicions. … Continued
Those Festering Issues: Race and Culture
Has anyone who’s lived within at least two cultures not been tempted to weigh in on the broiling issue of being “transracial”? Rachel Dolezal, former regional president of the NAACP, claimed she was black, but was recently outed as white … Continued
Crossing Cultures With Good Eats
Writing the multicultural experience A famous chef, James Beard, once said: Food is our common ground, a universal experience. Who could dispute that food is a universal experience? But is it really a common ground? I have my own prejudices … Continued
Want to Go Viral? Target a mouthy audience
Want to go viral? Take a cue from a former teacher of creative writing. He came out with a rant about his students and the craft of writing. The piece riled quite a few people. Mostly writers, for sure. Enough … Continued